The interplay between designers of vehicles and thieves who would steal the vehicle itself to gain access to the vehicle to remove saleable parts is unending. It is not long after some prevention means is invented and installed before thieves will scheme and design ways to overcome them. All too often the thieves will find some means to accomplish this.
This invention is intended to prevent entry into a vehicle by a known, simple, and currently effective technique. It is expected to solve a serious exposure at a minor expense.
With the establishment of the On Star system, the theft of vehicles equipped with it has become less desirable. A vehicle so equipped can be tracked by the system and located very quickly. A thief then has only a very limited amount of time to work with the vehicle. The risk of quick apprehension if the vehicle is moved removes the value of the vehicle itself to the thief. It does not, however, affect the value of parts or components of the vehicle if the vehicle itself does not have to be moved. On Star will not be alerted to such a circumstance, and the thief can work at leisure.
Similarly, the Lo-Jack system is useless, because at best it says the vehicle has been stolen—not where it is.
So as a result, a standing vehicle (assuming the alarm can be disabled, which can be done) is prone to the theft of very expensive parts and accessories, such as wheels from top of the line SUV's. For this purpose, access to the engine compartment is critical. With the hood open, the battery can be disabled by cutting a battery cable, and the vehicle is exposed to every risk except that if it is moved, there is a risk. But the vehicle itself will not be moved.
The resistance to this event is the hood latch. When closed, the hood latch is spring-loaded closed. It is released by a pull on a sheathed cable controlled from inside the vehicle. When the cable wire is pulled, the latch lock is released and access is enabled to fully release the latch and open the hood.
After that, the vehicle is exposed to depredation, especially of its wheels and tires. The owner will return to find his vehicle on its axles and rotors, or on cheap jacks.
In General Motors SUV's, the hood latch is customarily attached to the frame or radiator core support. It faces forwardly and is covered by a grille that allows for the flow of cooling air to the radiator. Unfortunately it also allows access to a thief who does not mind damaging the grille.
For purposes of access, he thrusts a strong, sharp screw driver through the grille, finds the latch and springs it. It is as simple as that.
Alternatively, again through the grille he can secure access to the cable and wire that operate the latch. For this he penetrates the grille with a suitable cutter instead of a screwdriver. He cuts the cable through its sheath, and then uses the tool to grab the enclosed wire and pulls it to release the latch. This is more trouble that the screwdriver technique, but still is useful.
It is the object of this invention to protect the latch, and preferably also the cable from access through the grille, and thereby make this type of incursion more difficult or time consuming. As a convenient mode of theft, it is no longer such.